A resolution to designate March 2022 as Irish-American Heritage Month was introduced in the US Senate on March 17, 2022.Getty Images
A resolution designating March 2022 as "Irish-American Heritage Month" and honoring the significance of Irish Americans in the history and progress of the United States was introduced in the US Senate on March 17, St. Patrick's Day.
US Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and fifth-generation Irish American, and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) led 10 senators in a resolution to designate March 2022 as Irish American Heritage Month and honor the contributions of the Irish American community.
“Generations of Irish Americans helped build and shape our country, and I’m glad to honor their contributions with this bipartisan resolution,” Senator Murphy said.
“As a proud Irish American who represents a large Irish American community in Connecticut, it’s deeply important to me that we reaffirm the strong relationship between our two countries and continue telling our story of resilience and strength.”
Some late St. Patrick’s Day news: @DanSullivan_AK and I introduced a bipartisan resolution highlighting the importance of Irish-American heritage and signaling continued congressional support for the Good Friday Agreement. pic.twitter.com/p6gxnvvrPc
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 18, 2022
The bipartisan resolution in Senate comes about a month after Senators Murphy and Sullivan met with Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney:
Great catching up w my friend Irish Foreign Minister @simoncoveney in Munich. Brought my colleague @DanSullivan_AK along too to make it clear there is bipartisan support for Ireland! pic.twitter.com/5iQESsG1nk
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 19, 2022
Senator Murphy has long been a champion for Irish and Irish American issues. Last year, he traveled to Belfast and London to meet with civil society, business, and political leaders to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol, the continued implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and shared national security challenges.
In London today for meetings on the Northern Ireland Protocol and other mutual security issues. Thanks to Brexit Minister David Frost, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis and John Bew, foreign policy advisor to Prime Minister Johnson, for meeting today. pic.twitter.com/m7mOCnv4k2
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 23, 2021
He and fellow Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) sent a letter to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in support of protecting the Good Friday Agreement and preserving peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland amid ongoing negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol.